Sealed Deal
by Huhuchocolate
Summary: When challenged to a dare by Crystal, Gold doesn't back down - especially when his reputation as a well-known breeder is on the line. If he loses, though, he'll jeopardize both his reputation in dares and worklife. Is it worth it? AU-Centric.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Sealed Deal**

**Summary: Gold is challenged to a dare by Crystal; he has to become Professor Elm's assistant along with Crystal to see who is the most hardworking of the two. Gold, of course, doesn't back down. But his reputation would be ruined if he loses; not just in the dare game but also in real life. If he loses, he'll have to leak all the info about Pokemon breeding that he knows, also jeopardizing his worklife. So begins the deal between the two. **

**Author's Note: Hi, there, everyone. Thanks for clicking on this and giving it a try. :D It means a lot; especially if you leave a review. There will be more chapters coming up, but ONLY if there're reviews. I mean, I've got to know who's reading it and who isn't, right? Review, and you'll get yourself and update. Enjoy!**

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><p>Truth be told, it was hard to find a young person his age in a laboratory – Especially when said person is a young pretty lady who should be out in the open air instead of this stuffy lab of Professor Elm's.<p>

Gold, who was clad in a janitor's uniform, sloshed water in the pail with him about and started mopping the floor noisily.

It was six o' clock in the morning, and no one was up and about in the room except the pretty lady in the lab coat. Gold guessed that she must work here as a helper of the Professor or something. As he mopped the floor, whistling, he made his way purposefully to her. Gold saw her tense up as he got closer. Up close, he could see star-shaped earrings visible, clashing with her dark hair.

Just as he was close enough to look at the colour of the bands used to tie up her neat pigtails; she whipped around and smiled at him.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked politely. Gold was expecting maybe a love struck look upon her face when she set eyes on him, like how he felt when he saw her beautiful face – Instead, her yes twitched in irritation even if her smile was sending him a different message. Gold grinned cheekily, liking this unpredictable beauty sitting in front of him already.

To think that he came here to check out the lab under disguise – the place where he had been offered a job – but to score a pretty damsel like her too. Luck seemed to love him at the moment.

"Well, I was just wonderin' why a pretty lady like you would be stuck in this stuffy ol' lab early in the mornin'?" Gold asked innocently, trying to look casual, like being a janitor was what he had been taught to be – Not an expert on Pokemon breeding who had turned countless job offerings down but decided to take on Professor Elm after a bit of… research and spying.

"I work here as Professor Elm's assistant. I haven't seen you around here before. Did you just start work today?" The girl returned to the stack of papers she was writing on, which looked like important documents. "You could say that. It depends," Gold replied, mopping the same spot over and over just to talk to her.

"On what?" She asked absent-mindedly. Gold could tell she wasn't really listening. He smirked. She fell for it. "On a pretty lady like you workin' with the Professor. I guess I don't mind tacklin' the job if I've got a hot girl as company," Gold said, waiting for her reaction. He expected a blush, and possibly a love confession – But all he got was her slamming her pen down. "If that's all you care about, then maybe you should get your facts straight about what a job really means before even hoping to apply for a job!" She said angrily.

Gold's grin widened. When she was angry, her cheeks coloured and her eyes flashed; a beauty, if he ever saw one. She looked strict, too, the way her pigtails were neatly tied and the firm frown on her face. The way she stood radiated an aura of intellect and discipline. Clearly, her ideologies and theories were the ones that got her into the field, not just her looks.

Gold liked her already.

"What's your name?" He blurted out, sounding desperate without meaning to. For just a moment, he saw her looking taken aback. But it was soon replaced with suspicion. "There's no reason why you should know," She retorted, before turning back to her paperwork. Still undeterred, Gold tried again. "C'mon, it's not like I'll blackmail your or anythin'. Who does that?" Though Gold already knew who could – Senior Blue was always a tricky one.

"I know someone who could and probably would," She replied to his surprise. Gold was about to try asking her again, when he heard the door to the lab open. He tensed. They were both in the back room, and it would take some time before said person would reach here. If it wasn't the Professor himself, Gold would be safe.

"Good morning, Crystal! The research we did was absolutely –"Yeah, it was Professor Elm alright. Gold's future boss, if he decided to take the job he was offered. Cursing mentally, Gold spotted the open window. It could be big enough to fit him… The sound of footsteps coming closer made his mind up.

"I gotta go! I'm hopin' to see ya again sometime!" Gold waved at Crystal, who stared at him, confused. He rushed towards the mirror and slipped through easily, even for his tall height. He pulled the mop and pail along and made a ran for it. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" The girl he assumed was 'Crystal' called after him in alarm. But he was already gone. "Crystal? Who were you yelling at?" Elm had hurried into the room, a stack of filed balanced in his arms.

"…There was a janitor…"

* * *

><p>It was already 10 o'clock in the morning, and Crystal was still mulling over the maniacal janitor who jumped through the window. She didn't bother explaining it to Professor Elm. She didn't want him to think the work was taking a toll on her, and also, Crystal had a feeling that the janitor didn't want Elm to know he had been there. Who was he? Even as she brooded over the nameless man with the laughing eyes, she still continued to print out sentence after sentence in her neat handwriting.<p>

"Ah, Crystal! I almost forgot," Professor Elm looked up at her from his computer.

"Did you see a young man up and about this morning? I offered him a job as he's very skilled in Pokémon breeding – People claim he's an expert breeder, hatcher, and naturally good with Pokémon. I offered him a job here, and I didn't expect him to accept. But he says he'll think about it. He told me he'll drop by early this morning to check out the lab, but I forgot to mention you'd be there," Elm said sheepishly.

Since all she saw was a crazy, unknown janitor, Crystal shook her head. Somehow, this problem reeked of suspicion. "So has he confirmed about taking the job?" She asked, still immersed in her work. "Well… He's been headhunted and offered jobs many times; but he refuses nearly always. He won't explain why, and we can only assume. I heard he's a carefree young man – quite the opposite with the likes of you," Elm chuckled amicably.

Crystal tensed, her heart beating and mind in a whirl.

Carefree, young, the opposite of her… "What's his name?" She asked, forcing herself to sound casual. "Oh, did I forget to mention that? His name's Gold, and he's from around here, you know," Elm replied, before turning back to the computer screen. The image of the janitor's golden irises from beneath his messy hair filled her mind. Crystal was sure she had hit the nail on the head; that this Gold was the janitor.

She wouldn't tell the Professor, Crystal thought determinedly. Since he's from around here, I'll search for him myself later. I'll ask him why he had been disguising himself. "Professor Elm? Do you think you can give me the address of Gold's house? The man you mentioned earlier?" Professor Elm nodded.

"Sure, but why? Any particular reason?" He asked. Crystal smiled innocently. "I just have a feeling that I might have met him before, that's all," She replied.

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><p>"So you managed to pull it off?" Blue asked, folding her arms and looking somewhat proud. Her brother – though not related by blood – sighed. Gold nodded, grinning. They were gathered in his house's garden. Blue had dropped by, and managed to convince Silver to come along.<p>

"Yup! The Professor didn't catch me in the end, and I got away. But I think I might take up the job… I heard Professor Elm's a good guy, and well, I've got my reasons, y'know?" Gold said. "So what happened to the girl?" Blue's eyes gleamed when she mentioned Crystal. Gold didn't know why, but she had a sly and foxy grin whenever she brought the girl into the conversation.

"She works at the lab. I think her name's Crystal," Gold began hesitantly.

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><p>"Yes, and she decided to get to the bottom of this problem by confronting the 'janitor' who's also the expert breeder 'Gold' himself!" A new voice joined the trio. All of them looked at Crystal when she arrived. She was glaring at Gold, and was too focused to notice the other two near him. Gold's mouth fell open.<p>

"I'm not falling for any kind of trick that easily," Crystal said angrily, folding her arms. Silver rolled his eyes and rubbed his face with one hand. Blue's grin widened into something similar to a Sharpedo's. "Crystal! It's nice seeing you here," When she heard Blue's familiar voice, she turned to her in shock. "S-senior Blue! And Silver? What are you two doing with this – with this liar?" Crystal asked, looking horrified.

"Whoa, Superseriousgal! I wasn't really lyin' back then," Gold said, raising his hands up defensively. "I'm not a liar. I just thought I'd check out the lab without anyone knowin' it was me. I knew I should've worn that moustache you gave me," Gold complained to Blue, who giggled. "Besides… How do you know Superseriousgal, Senior Blue? Ya didn't tell me about her, which is shame. I'd have liked meetin' a pretty lady like her aeons ago," Gold smirked.

"Stop calling me that!" Crystal clenched her fists.

"Crystal, this is Gold. Gold; Crystal. Gold, I've known Crystal since the day Professor Elm took her on. Green introduced her to Silver and I when both Elm and her visited Kanto. And Crystal… I've known Gold for quite a long time, ever since he became friends with Silver," Blue introduced.

"Acquaintances," Silver corrected. "…Okay," Crystal said unsurely, looking flabbergasted. "B-but… Why did you pull a stunt like that? Why go through all that just to avoid anyone knowing it's you? I heard you were born here, in NewBark Town, so why put on a disguise? Besides, you ran away when Professor Elm came in," Crystal pointed out.

"If you really want to know – It's kinda complicated," Gold began. Blue looked at them both, satisfaction and apparently enjoyment clear in her eyes. "Senior Blue dared me to go under disguise and not get caught by anyone; just check out the lab at the same time as pretendin' to be a worker there. I thought bein' a janitor would suit me best, so I did just that. 'Course, I called Professor Elm first. He didn't say anyone would be there," Gold said, scratching his head awkwardly.

"And about the runnin' away from the Professor thing… Senior Blue told me to avoid anyone's recognition – Since Elm already knows how I look like, I knew I'd fail the dare. But since we didn't know each other, it was okay to talk to you. SO see, it was all innocent, really. No problem at all," Gold shrugged at Crystal. He didn't realize he was fuelling her anger with every sentence.

"So you did all that… Just for a dare? What's so important about this dare?" She threw up her hands in the air, yelling. Gold shrank back, while Silver smacked his face. "You know… um… manly pride?" He answered. "ARGH! You put me through all this trouble; trying to track you down and demand an explanation – I thought you had something up your sleeve, and since you mentioned blackmail! You're so – so STUPID!" Crystal cried out.

This time, Gold's easy grin faded a little and he rose up, towering over her just by a few centimetres. Even so, her intimidation and anger far surpassed his.

"I'm not stupid!" He denied, looking childishly defiant. "Oh, really? Only stupid idiotic people would waste their time doing something like that when you could've had some work done! To think that you even tried to chat me up before! Let me tell you this; NO GIRL would want to date a person like YOU, who fritters time away like a KID," Crystal jabbed a finger into Gold's chest.

"It was just for fun! Loosen up, Superseriousgal! Haven't you ever heard the word 'fun'? I do know how to work, and I'll be able to work as hard as ANYONE," Gold replied. Crystal's eyes gleamed. "Fine, then. You say you can work harder than anyone, right? Well, I challenge you to a dare. Unless you're too LAZY to take it on," She said. His eyes flashed momentarily. "Go on, then! I'll take on any dare, any place, any time," Gold said.

"I dare you to take on the job with Professor Elm. Work as his assistant, and we'll see who's the most hardworking between the two of us," Crystal proposed. Blue watched this exchange with interest. "Who will be the judge?" She asked cheerfully. Crystal didn't take her eyes off Gold. "Silver," She announced, making the redhead shake his head. Both of them ignored Silver's futile attempts of disagreeing.

"Okay, whatever you say, Superseriousgal. But there'll be a prize for the winner, won't there?" Gold asked. "Yes, the winner can have whatever he or she wants," Crystal said grudgingly. "Okay, then – If I win, you'll hafta admit I'm the best and then go on a date with me," Gold said with a smirk. Crystal ground her teeth in frustration. "And if I win; you'll have to share all your breeding tactics and secrets with the lab," Crystal didn't know why, but he clenched his jaw and looked like he wanted to refuse at this point.

"But, Superseriousgal! That'll jeopardize my reputation. No one's gonna want me to work with 'em once I give all the info in," Gold argued. "Then you'll just have to win then, won't you?" Crystal asked condescendingly. Gold hated to admit it, but his ego was being challenged here. He remained silent but looked sulky.

"We've got ourselves a deal,"

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><p><strong>And that's the end of CHAPTER ONE! Read and review, and I'll update. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Title : Sealed Deal**

**Author's note : So this is the second chapter for this fic. Tell me what you think; reviews are always welcomed. With reviews, I'll update. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Then I'll be seeing you tomorrow at the lab," Crystal announced. She nodded at both Blue and Silver before she started to stomp off, still feeling riled up. That Gold seemed to be able to ruffle her feathers the wrong way, even if that wasn't easy for someone usually cool and calm like her. "Wait, Superseriousgal!" Gold called after her, and she turned around, eyes flashing like an angry Tauros. "Didn't I say to stop calling me that?"<p>

Gold, of course, ignored her. "I just wanna ask what time you'll be there – seein' as I'll hafta beat you at this dare an' all," Gold said. A twisted smirk formed on Crystal's face. But she still managed to look eye-catching, which was totally unfair to Gold. "I guess that means you'll just have to find out yourself, because I'm not telling you," Crystal whipped around without a wave and was gone in a matter of seconds. Gold stared after her.

"What's got 'er all mad about?"

"Well," Blue giggled in reply. "You know how some people are house proud? Crystal's like that – except it's in her work. She's a perfectionist of a workaholic, you might say. You're screwed," Blue stated. "If I lose… I'll lose a lot more than her. It ain't fair! You don't know how these professors are like! I always turn down jobs, because all they want are solid info about breedin'! If they could, they'd just wanna turn me into a mindless robot who gives them all the info needed – and then they'll trash me. They don't want someone young; they want old and experienced," Gold said.

"I'm screwed," he admitted.

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><p>Once Silver and Crystal were gone, Gold got to work. He had to find out what time Crystal started working. He also had to explain this to the Day-care Centre near Goldenrod City where he worked most of the time.<p>

"Yo Gramps! How are ya? I bought ya those tangerines you love," Gold greeted, handing over the basket of fruits in the old man's lap. "Gold! What're you doing here? Thank you!" The Day-care Grandpa replied in a croaky voice. "No problem. I just hafta say that I won't be here for maybe the next one month to help out. Ya sure you and Grandma will do okay?" Gold asked, folding his arms.

_THWACK!_

A quick knock to the head with a cane made him groan in pain. "Of course we'll be able to run it ourselves! Why, we've been doing that even before you were born. We're as fit as any of you young whippersnappers!" Grandma said grouchily, waving her dangerous old cane about. "O-okay, I get it, Grandma. Sheesh…" Gold muttered, eyes watering. "But before you go, Gold, why not see the Pokémon first? They missed you today," Grandpa said.

And true to his word, the Pokémon in the back garden had started to wail and cry out once they heard Gold's arrival – mostly due to his loud voice. Gold's eyes softened slightly.

"Yeah, sure – Gotta say I miss 'em too when I don't get to see 'em,"

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><p><em>R-RING! R-RING!<em>

A feminine but calloused hand due to the amount of work done shot out from under the sheets. It silenced the alarm clock, getting rid of its piercing ringing. Crystal immediately sat up and stretched. As she bustled about and tidied up her bed, she glanced sharply at the alarm clock. It was 4:35 in the morning. Crystal smirked as she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

If all went well; she would have outwitted Gold. Usually, she was at the lab by 5:30 a.m. But today, Crystal had set her alarm at 4:45 a.m., planning to reach the lab at 5:00 a.m. sharp. A whole thirty minutes earlier.

"Gold's going to get the surprise of his life," Crystal muttered, as the shower pelted her with drops of hot water. She guessed earlier yesterday that he would probably call Professor Elm for information – and probably use that info to beat her to her game, but he forgot who he was dealing with. "I'm going to win this dare, if it's the last thing I do. I'm not going to lose," she muttered darkly as she stepped out of her house and began locking the door.

She was balancing a container of her breakfast, handling her bag full of books and papers, while trying to lock the door all at the same time, when a voice made her jump nearly out of her skin.

"Mornin', Superseriousgal! You're up early!" Gold greeted her from behind. The keys fell to the ground. Crystal turned to stare at him in shock, which soon turned into a glare. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. Gold grinned as he stooped to pick up the keys. "Here, I'll do that for ya," He didn't wait for her answer. Crystal said nothing but folded her arms and scrutinized him. He was smarter than she thought he was. He didn't fall for her trick.

"Here," Gold handed the keys, and Crystal caught a strong whiff of morning dew and leaves from him. It wasn't unpleasant – but it was weird. He could either be wearing some type of cologne that he thought was cool… or…. "Where did you sleep last night?" she asked, feeling suspicious. "Huh? Why'd you wanna ask somethin' like that, Superseriousgal? Unless you wanna join me," he teased her, smirking sleazily.

"I said," Crystal jabbed a finger in his chest, making him wince. "Where did you sleep last night?" She held Gold's gaze. He shrugged carelessly. "Outside your house," Gold said. Crystal's eye twitched when she thought of him sleeping outside just to beat her at this dare. She didn't even know he was there. "You're crazy!" she said, stepping back. "Nah, just someone who wants to win a dare," he replied smugly.

"Here, I'll take that bag for ya," His eyes shifted to her bulky and heavy bag. Gold snatched it from her and started running out into the footpath leading to Professor Elm's lab. She narrowed her eyes dangerously. If she didn't know any better, he was probably going to sabotage her or something. "GOLD! Come back here this instance!" she yelled, running angrily after him. In just a few minutes, they had reached Elm's lab.

Crystal growled, snatching the bag from a smug Gold and searched its contents. "You didn't do anything, did you?" she demanded. He shook his head. "Except bringin' it here, I didn't," he said truthfully. He was right. Everything seemed to be in order. "…Why would you do something like that?" Crystal asked, and he laughed obnoxiously at her apparent confusion. "What's wrong with a guy like me tryin' to help out a gorgeous beauty like you?" he asked. Crystal, on the other hand, didn't look amused.

"So if I weren't a 'gorgeous beauty', you wouldn't help me? You're the absolute pits," She stormed towards the lab and roughly unlocked it. She stomped it, looking like she wanted to kill. "…What's bitten her?" Gold asked, confused himself. "I'm not like that, you know I ain't," Gold turned to a bored Silver, who raised his eyebrows.

"You guys kept me waiting," Was all he answered.

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><p>When the two males went into the back room; Crystal was already seated and was correcting a stack of Professor Elm's reports. She didn't spare Gold a glance, but she nodded at Silver.<p>

"The Professor already assigned me work to do when I called him yesterday. What're you gonna do, Silver?" Gold asked, pulling up a chair and settling down for his own work. "I was convinced I would waste my time here – But Blue helped me get a job with Professor Elm. I'll be helping him with his evolution procedures," Silver replied. "He said he'd be early in today. I'll go call for him," Silver walked out of the room.

He shot Gold a glance before he left. Don't kill each other.

Gold followed Elm's instructions and took the file labelled, 'BREEDING' on the shelves. Elm had told him to correct the mistakes and add more information if he could. When he opened it, Gold groaned. There were a hundred over pages stacked in disarray; nearly all of them were wrong. He glanced across the room to Crystal, who ignored him. Her hand ran over the page like it was nothing, and her face was creased in concentration.

Beautiful, he thought.

With a noisy scrape of his chair, Gold turned way reluctantly. If he wasn't careful, he might get distracted by her – and he'd lose the dare. "C'mon, Gold, you can do this," he said bracingly.

* * *

><p>It had been four hours.<p>

FOUR. FREAKING. HOURS.

"…The mechanism of Magnemite breeding…" Gold read the next sentence, rubbing the temples of his head. He was beginning to feel dizzy. "Magnemites don't have gender… Or do they? How do we know for sure?..." Yeah, Gold knew he was acting like a lumbering lunatic right now. But he couldn't think straight. He still had another month of this. How the Heck did Crystal do it?

"Magnemites… Magnemites… Ugh, Magnemites…" Gold muttered under his breath. He glanced at Crystal, and saw that she still hadn't budged from her seat. From here, she looked like an angel who was still concentrating in utter perfection – but Gold could clearly see that this was taking a toll on her too. She was rubbing her eyes and casually ran a hand through her hair. They made eye contact. She glared and looked away, he smirked manically.

It was an unsaid challenge; who was the first to get up to freshen up – or stopped their work, loses.

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><p>It was almost a relief when the Professor burst in. "Can one of you help me deliver this to a colleague of mine living in Violet City? It's important!" Both competitors stood up at once; Gold in his usual brash way while Crystal in a more dignified manner. "I'll do it!" Both of them said at the same time. Silver, who was in the corner of the room flipping through papers, snorted. He wasn't as tired as either of them; due to the fact that he got up once or twice when the Professor called him.<p>

Crystal glared daggers at Gold. "I'm sure I'll be the best person for the job, Professor. After all, you'll need someone responsible and trustworthy, right?" she asked, smiling sweetly at Elm. "What're you sayin', huh, Superseriousgal? I can be as responsible and trustworthy as you!" Gold replied. Silver sighed inwardly. He should really teach Gold how to imply things in a sentence, instead of go at it head on. "B-both of you are trustworthy, of course," Elm stuttered, adjusting his spectacles.

"But of course, Crystal would know the way. You know Professor Birch, don't you, Crystal? He's over at Violet City on a visit from Hoenn. Do you mind passing this to him?" Professor Elm handed her a Pokeball, as she made her way proudly to him. "He requested for this little guy here to be sent over for research," There was a flash, and a cyndaquil appeared. It lifted its snout to the air and sniffed cutely.

When Crystal smiled at it however, it bristled in a hostile way.

Crystal's smile faded a little. "And while you're at it… Gold, why don't you follow her? I'm sure Professor Birch would like to meet you. This could be a good experience," Elm smiled at them both, not noticing the apparent hostility from Crystal and the victorious look from Gold. Silver shook his head slowly, knowing this would be a bad experience. The cyndaquil looked sulky. "Alright, then, I'll leave it to the both of you! Professor Birch will be waiting for you at the Pokémon Centre. I've got to rush now. Silver, I'll need your help," Professor Elm bustled out, followed by Silver.

When the other two humans left the room, both of them stared at each other. "Guess we'd better get goin' too, huh?" Gold asked in a friendly voice, only to be sadly ignored. Instead, Crystal turned to the cyndaquil and smiled again. "Come on, Cyndaquil. We're taking you to a Professor so he can complete his research. Come along," Crystal stepped out through the door and expected it to follow. Cyndaquil growled lowly.

"It doesn't like humans much," Gold announced. Crystal glared at him. "That's obvious," She said impatiently, before turning to the cyndaquil again. "Come here, Cyndaquil, I'll carry you," She bent down and tried to pick the Pokémon up – only for it to snap at her threateningly and run away behind a desk. "Cyndaquil, come back here!" Crystal looked worried now, but determined, as she followed after it. Every time she made to grab it, the cyndaquil would hiss and run.

Crystal panted, Gold stood still and watched. He tried to help her before, but Crystal snapped at him that she could 'do it herself without any help at all'.

"Cyndaquil," Crystal panted, the small creature bristling at her. "If you don't come along, I'll be forced to put you in the Pokeball. I'm sure you won't like that. So please, just follow me, and I won't have to call you back to your Pokeball," Crystal said firmly. Cyndaquil growled threateningly. Gold could see something that Crystal didn't. The cyndaquil was terrified of her firmness. It must have reminded it of the other aides that work here.

"Hey, Superseriousgal – I really think you should lemme handle it. I know what's wrong," Gold said, approaching both her and the Pokémon. "No, I'm quite sure I can do it myself," Crystal replied curtly. She must have wanted to prove that she could do it, because she bent down gently and reached for the fire type. It was a bad move, because the cyndaquil crouched low and its back burst into flames.

Crystal didn't squeal, but she took a step back, bumping into Gold.

"See? What did I tell ya? I know what's wrong," Gold said, steadying her. She sighed and stepped out of his grasp. "Explain then," She said, waiting. "Y'see, Pokemon who live here are usually used for research purposes. They don't really have anyone to care after 'em. Most Professors or aides forget the fact that Pokemon love being babied too. Maybe since you're wearin' a lab coat and you're kinda – um, firm, that managed to scare the cyndaquil," Gold elaborated.

"Your smell doesn't help, either," Gold finished. "M-my what?" Crystal asked, taken aback. "You smell a lot like apples – but because you work in a lab, you smell like old books and something like medicine, too. Especially when you wear that lab coat of yours," Gold trailed off when Crystal stared at him. "B-but it's not like it ain't a nice smell! I-in fact, I like it!" Gold blurted out, thinking he might have offended her. When Crystal was still silently contemplating him, he turned to the cyndaquil, his face tinted a light pink.

"Hey, Cyndaquil, ya don't have to be scared of Chris here – She's real gentle, really. No one's gonna hurt ya, I promise. Professor Birch just wants to take a look at you," It softened very slightly, but still looked mistrustful. Old bent down and held his hands towards it. "C'mon, I'll carry ya. I promise, if the Professor wants to do anythin' scary; I'll get ya out of there, okay?" Gold reassured the tiny creature. "I used to have a cyndaquil like you, too – Name of Explotaro. Now he's all grown up. In fact, I think you'll get along with 'em!" Gold exclaimed.

Crystal watched his enthusiasm in silence. "Tell ya what; I'll make a deal. If you follow us to meet Professor Birch who won't hurt you or else he'll have me to explain to, then I'll bring some of my Pokemon over so you guys can spend some tim together. I bet it gets real lonely bein' on your own for so long, huh?" The fire type nodded hesitantly. "Well? What do you say? If I were you, I'd take this bargain – you're the one havin' most of the benefits, after all," Gold said. There was a heartbeat of silence, before it hopped lightly into Gold's awaiting hands.

"Awesome!" Gold beamed. "Once we're done, I'll bring Explotaro and the gang over so you guys can play. I can tell you they're real friendly – Heh, just like yours truly!" Gold cradled Cyndaquil close to his chest as they exited the lab. The Cyndaquil lay in his hold quietly, but it wasn't as hostile as before. "So do you have any flying Pokemon with you, Chris?" Gold asked, turning to her. "Unless you wanna cycle all the way or somethin'," Gold continued. "I have a xatu, but I don't think it can carry us both," Crystal said fretfully.

"It's okay, I have Mantaro here with me," Gold took out a Pokeball and in a flash; a mantine appeared with Remoraids lined neatly beneath its fins. The Mantine greeted its trainer cheerfully, all the while staring at the huddle in Gold's arms curiously. "Hey, buddy, ya don't mind giving us a lift to Violet City, do ya?" Gold asked, and Mantaro confirmed with a nod. Gold clambered onto the back of his Mantaro. Usually, he would hang on with his cue stick, but with the cyndaquil in tow, he daren't do that – besides, he didn't have his cue stick with him.

* * *

><p>As they set out for Violet high in the sky, Crystal heard excited squeaks from the fire type and a few amused chuckles from Gold. She wasn't going to admit it, but his prowess with Pokémon impressed her. After a few minutes, the two landed safely on the ground in front of the Pokémon Centre in Violet City. Sure enough, just as they landed a voice called out to them.<p>

"Ah, if it isn't Crystal! It's good to see you," A stocky man in a lab coat rushed over to them. Crystal nodded and bowed slightly out of politeness. "Same here, Professor Birch. Professor Elm sent us over with the cyndaquil," Crystal said, and his expression brightened. "You have the little mite, then? Thanks! Who's this?" Professor Birch turned to Gold in interest, as the pokémon buried its head deep into the male's chest. "So you've finally gotten a boyfriend, Crystal? Congratulations! Judging by the way this Pokémon is warming up to him, he'll be just as good as a father too!" Professor Birch said cheerfully.

Crystal turned red and stuttered something incoherent, while Gold choked. "H-he's not my boyfriend or anything, Professor, he just started working as an assistant to Professor Elm today," Crystal laughed nervously. "Oh?" Professor Birch turned to Gold for confirmation. "Yeah, I'm Gold," Gold nodded with a grin. "Wait, aren't you that breeding expert they've been talking about?" Realization dawned on the man. "No wonder you looked familiar! My, my, Elm's made quite the catch, hasn't he? Well, I'll just be taking down a few notes on the cyndaquil, and I think you'll be a great help, Gold. Nurse Joy agreed to let me take one of the back rooms for a few minutes. It's nothing heavy, just measuring the little mite's weight and all that," Professor Birch said. "And you, Chris! I bet you've been working yourself to a frazzle, like you always do. Sit down and take a rest, we won't be long,"

The professor dragged both her and Gold and ushered her to sit down. Gold was dragged on to the back room, accompanied by a smiling Nurse Joy. "B-but…!" Crystal made to stand up, but the professor shook his head. "Take a breather, Crystal! It'll do you the world of good," he called back, before disappearing to the back. Crystal stared after them, before giving up and plopping back down onto the sofa with a sigh. Well, at least it provided some comfort to her stress. Crystal wanted to win so badly, she didn't realize she was starting to tire herself out.

* * *

><p>"That was Gold, wasn't it? From NewBark Town?" A serious and definitely male voice addressed her from nearby. Crystal sat up straight and looked around, before spotting the only person close enough to her; who was sitting in the other seat across the glass table. The man looked older than her, but not that old either. His dark hair covered an eye, only leaving another one to look at her seriously. His expression was firm, but his visible eye seemed to gleam with amusement when he mentioned Gold.<p>

For some odd reason, he was wearing a traditional outfit. When he saw her looking, he smiled. "To match the city's traditional look," he said in explanation. "I'm Falkner," he offered. That name stirred something in her memory. "Wait… Aren't you the gym leader of Violet City?" Crystal asked. He nodded. "Yes, I am. So is Gold working with Professor Elm now?" Falkner titled his head to one side curiously. Crystal nodded. "I thought as much," Falkner grinned. Falkner was famous for a lot of things; his mysterious father Wayne, his traditional ways, his prowess with bird types…And also the fact that he was always so serious and rarely smiled.

"How do you know Gold?" Crystal asked casually. The same fond smile lit his features. "I met him back when he was younger – and I wasn't Violet City's gym leader yet, though I had applied," Falkner said. "He was a really nice kid – helped me catch a skarmory with his cyndaquil. He was the reason I won the position – The skarmory proved to be very handy," The gym leader stared at the back room. "He said he had a few dreams himself when he was younger, and as far as I know, he's managed to achieve them," Falkner finished. Crystal was still busy contemplating this.

"He's a good kid, even if he can be too loud at times – But that's just his way," Falkner shrugged. "He's very modest about the fact that he's a known breeder around this region. He never brings the topic up if he can help it. Never charges if you ask him for advice or help, either. I've seen him working around Goldenrod's Day care a few times, and the Grandma and Grandpa there have to practically force him to take some pay. He's really good with Pokémon, too. I heard that he can hatch out a Pokémon using unheard tactics and even influence the personality," Falkner finished.

"That's amazing…" Crystal murmured, mostly to herself. "It is," Falkner nodded. He looked at her through a narrowed eye. "…Sorry if I'm prying, but – are you going out with him?" He asked. "No! We're just working together," Crystal denied, thinking the world must be going crazy. Falkner looked like he wanted to ask more, but a slight cough from nearby made them both look up. "J-Janine!" Falkner shot up, an uncharacteristic blush dusting his cheeks. The gym leader of Fuchsia City looked shy herself, but she still managed to carry a cool air about her.

She smiled amicably at Crystal. "I have to go now, sorry. Your name…?" he asked, hurriedly joining the other female. "It's Crystal," Crystal answered automatically. He nodded, before waving her goodbye. She watched as the couple exited the centre together; Falkner blushing but chivalrous while Janine sweet and elegant. She was still watching them go when she heard Professor Birch's voice.

"I'm so sorry, Gold! I really didn't mean to frighten the poor Cyndaquil like that! I'm really very sorry!" Crystal immediately turned around and strode towards them.

* * *

><p>Gold's back was turned to her while Professor Birch looked worried and kept apologizing. For some odd reason, he was out of his usual red jacket and only wore his thin black T-shirt. "It's okay, seriously, Professor! You don't have to worry 'bout it," Gold was answering. She strode towards them at a faster pace, unable to stand the suspense any longer. She wasn't with Gold for around ten minutes and he's already gotten into trouble. What in Arceus happened?<p>

"Professor Birch! What's wrong? Has something happened? Did you get the details you wanted? The research is going on fine, right?" Crystal asked. Professor Birch turned to her, looking worried.

"Yes, yes, the research went on fine," he said impatiently. "It went better than expected and we left the cyndaquil in the room. But Gold, on the other hand…" Professor Birch waved a hand at the other male. "Did he mess up?" Crystal asked critically. Gold whipped his head around, but his body was still unturned. In fact, he looked like he was trying to hide something from her. "Me, mess up? C'mon, Chris, gimme a break! I'm far too careful," Gold said obnoxiously.

"Yeah, right. What are you trying to hide, Gold? You didn't somehow… hurt the cyndaquil, did you?" Crystal asked in horror. In her mind, she imagined a visual image of the cyndaquil's poor mangled body. Gold looked like he was going to retort, but Professor Birch interrupted. "No, no, Gold didn't hurt the cyndaquil. He loves Pokémon far too much to even think of that! No, it's more like the cyndaquil hurt him," Before Gold could protest, the professor turned him around to face Crystal.

She gasped when she caught sight of his arm. The sleeve of his left arm was burnt nearly up to his arm, and the skin there looked burnt and red. But what made it worse was the fact that there were tiny but deep bite marks in his arm. "W-What happened?" she asked faintly. Gold grimaced but kept a nonchalant look. "Bit me with fire fang," he replied shortly. "But why? I mean, it seemed to like you…" Crystal said. Professor Birch looked sheepish.

"Yes, we got on splendidly. Gold here was holding the little tyke for me while I took down a few details. But I must have scared it when I took out a syringe from my bag, because it struggled and attacked Gold. I'm sorry," Professor Birch said. "Well – we can't just stand here! We've got to treat that wound first. Where's Nurse Joy?" Crystal looked at the counter, but it was empty. A chansey was standing there as a replacement, dealing with a small queue of trainers cheerfully.

"She's tied up in her work, and her chansey isn't trained in treating humans. But she did tell us to use the first aid kit if there was any trouble. But the things is, I'm not really an expert in that," Professor Birch said in a guilty tone. "Fine," Crystal sighed. She grabbed Gold's good arm and led him firmly to the back. "W-where are you going, Crystal? I thought we should take Gold to the hospital nearby," Professor Birch called after them.

"The nearest hospital is in Ecruteak City, and the journey will take a while. We need to treat this now. I know the basics of first aid, so this should be no problem," Crystal called back. "Just stay there, Professor. The cyndaquil might still be feeling a bit hostile, so it wouldn't do us any good for you to be there," Crystal said sternly when he made a move to follow. He stopped, looking at a loss, but sat down obediently in a nearby chair.

* * *

><p>Crystal pulled Gold steadily, who stumbled after her even with his longer legs. He avoided eye contact with her, but kept his gaze on the grip she had on his arm. He blushed slightly and looked away as he was pulled into the back room. There, the cyndaquil was poised in a defensive stance, hissing, but it looked scared.<p>

"Come over to the sink," Crystal pulled him towards the sink in the room. "We're going to wash your arm first to clean it up, so you'll have to take off your jacket – unless you want to get wet," Gold did as he was told, but his attention strayed to the little quivering ball from time to time. Gold winced as the cold water made contact with his skin. "It'll hurt a bit," Crystal warned him as she proceeded in the task of cleaning his arm.

"I can take on anythin'," Gold replied, sounding like a challenge. Even so, the male avoided looking at the mirror on top of the sink. Crystal's gentle probes and rubs on his arm made him blush, and it certainly didn't help that he had quite the small crush on her. He turned to the sorry little fire creature, who approached them bit by bit. "Hey," he said. "You don't hafta be scared. I'm not angry,"

The cyndaquil looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "No, really. I'm not angry. And I gotta say; if I were your enemy I'd be terrified. Your attack packed quite the punch," Gold said. The cyndaquil seemed slightly happier, as it suddenly bounded towards the male and rubbed itself endearingly against his leg. Crystal stared at the two from the corner of her eyes. When people say Gold was good with pokemon, they weren't kidding.

When she had done the task of cleaning his arm and applied the need medicine, she sat him down and began to wrap his arm in some gauze from the kit. By now, the cyndaquil was in his lap purring as he stroked it with his good hand.

"You're really good with pokemon, like people say," Crystal said grudgingly. Gold grinned at her. "And you're really good at takin' care of people! Thanks, super serious gal! Man, I feel better already," Gold thanked her warmly. To her surprise, she felt herself smiling a bit too. "No problem," She muttered in reply.

* * *

><p>They stepped out of the room; Crystal in the lead with cyndaquil carefully balanced on Gold's shoulder. Crystal had tried her best to clean up Gold's jacket, which was now tied around his waist casually. Professor Birch hurried over to them. "How are you feeling now, Gold? I hope you're okay," he said anxiously. "Yeah, I'm feelin' fine now. No worries, Professor," Gold replied. "Wow, Crystal – Anyone would think that Gold was treated by a professional!" Professor Birch looked admiringly at the neatly-tied gauze.<p>

"Yeah, Crystal's amazin'," Gold said, to her surprise. She couldn't see his expression clearly as he was busy stroking cyndaquil, so she chose not to say anything. "Professor Elm called just now, by the way. He asked if you could both return to the lab to file up a few things. He says it'll only take a few minutes at most, then both of you are free for the day," Professor Birch informed them. "Then I think it's best if we were on our way," Crystal said.

As the two rode on their respective pokemon, Professor Brich waved at them. "Thanks again, both of you! My research is nearly done, thanks to your cooperation. I hope we'll see each other again soon!" he said. "Okay, Professor! Call me the next time you're in town, and I'll meet ya!" Gold replied in his usual laidback and amiable manner. "It was our pleasure, Professor. Have a safe journey back to Hoenn," Crystal replied in her usual polite and cool manner.

As the two flew away, Professor Birch waved after them.

"…What an interesting pair. I feel like those two need researching too, if you ask me," He mumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's it. I hope you enjoyed reading it, and remember to leave a review. Only with reviews will you get and update. Thanks for reading!<strong>


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